The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reaffirmed the John Mahama administration’s commitment to pursuing mutually beneficial foreign policy objectives following Ghana’s exemption from the United States’ visa sanctions and the proposed US$15,000 visa bond requirement.

The United States has recently expanded a controversial visa bond programme, requiring applicants from 38 countries, most of them in Africa, with others in Latin America and Asia, to pay refundable cash deposits of up to US$15,000 when applying for certain visitor visas.

In a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, January 8, Mr Ablakwa assured Ghanaians that the government will continue to take deliberate foreign policy decisions aimed at protecting Ghana’s strategic interests and shielding citizens from the impact of increasingly restrictive immigration measures, particularly by the United States.

“As many more countries face U.S. visa sanctions and US$15,000 visa bonds, Ghanaians can be assured that the Mahama Administration will continue to pursue mutually beneficial foreign policy objectives that align with our strategic national interest and ensure our citizens are not disadvantaged,” he stated.

The State Department on Tuesday added 25 countries to its visa bond list, nearly tripling the total shortly after adding seven more as part of the Trump administration’s moves to tighten immigration enforcement.

Travellers eligible for a B1/B2 visa from countries on the list must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, with the amount set during the visa interview, according to a notice posted on the State Department’s website.